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How Do I Claim Compensation?
If you have suffered in an accident which was not your fault and caused by a third party, then you may have a claim for compensation. No matter how minor the injury, if you have incurred any losses, for example in the form of medical fees or wages lost through time spent off of work, you are entitled to be compensated.
What kind of compensation can I get?
The most common kind of compensation is financial compensation. You can be compensated for any expenses directly incurred by the injury. These are known as special damages.
However, there may also be losses you incur in the future, ones which are more difficult to quantify. For example, if you suffer a serious back injury in a car accident you may not be able to work in the same job anymore; you may need a carer for several years or for the rest of your life; you may need to make modifications to your home, for example fitting hand rails or ramps around the house. You may even have to give up some of your hobbies, for example playing golf or gardening. The court can award you compensation for this, and for pain and suffering caused. These are called general damages.
If you are found to partly at fault your damages may be reduced by a judge. For example, if you are injured in a car crash and were not wearing a seatbelt, your compensation may be reduced.
How soon after an accident can I make a claim for compensation?
Under English law, you have only 3 years from the date of an injury (or the date on which you became aware of the injury) in which to make a claim. For this reason it is important to seek legal advice as soon as possible.
If you are injured as a result of a crime which was reported to the police, you may also be entitled to compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. An application must normally be made through the police, and must be done within 2 years of the crime.
Where do I go to claim compensation?
You will normally have to take court action to claim compensation. You will need to prove you were injured as a result of a third party’s negligence and that you suffered damage. You will then have to quantify the damage and make a claim for the loss suffered. To do this you may need to instruct medical and legal experts, which can be costly and difficult. It is often difficult to know where to begin, and too easy to get bogged down in legal jargon and procedure.
For this reason you should consider contacting LEGAL REQUEST where our specialist lawyers will give you a free consultation to gauge whether you are entitled to compensation and to how much you are entitled. We offer NO WIN NO FEE agreements where you don’t pay a penny and get to keep 100% of the compensation offered.
Legal Request is regulated by the Ministry of Justice in respect of regulated claims management activities, authorisation number CRM2092
www.claimsregulation.gov.uk Legal information
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